Videoconferencing - what you need to know and teach

1 Choose Your System
Work out the sites which are free or costing and any time constraints.
What will you get from the premium versions?
If it is a free trial, do you have to give a credit card and risk making monthly purchases forever if you forget or can't succeed in cancelling?
Who can fund a premium account?
Who do you know in your business or social group who already has an account which they will share?

2 Set up your webconferencing system account.
Note any logins and passwords and save the information in two places. Try to make it memorable by finding a pattern, or keep repeating it.

3 Read the webconferencing help page.

4 Print the help page or screen capture.
Highlight the important points and actions.

5 Or store login codes and directions somewhere you can quickly copy it and forward it to your co-hosts audience members.

6 You also want to know:
How do you share or hand over hosting the videoconferencing site? (Usually just an icon you click, saying 'share hosting', or words to that effect, then select a name from participants.)

7 How do you admit people? Or

8 Signing in
The first questions your attendees will ask are:
How do I log in? What is the code?  What is the password?
Have this written up large on a board beside your laptop.

9 You can have a cork pinboard, a white wipeboard (small ones can be bought from Daeso). Failing all else, clip onto a clipboard.

10 Appoint A Technical Troubleshooter
If you don't, you will delay the proceedings every ten minutes for the first half hour whilst latecomers say they can't log in and ask for help.

11 Train people to change their name on their photo box (the oblong which looks like a microwave) and show their  face.

12 Tell everyone to mute during other people's speeches to cut down on background noises.

13 Remind peole to unmute. Show they how to do it on the large computer screen or a small mobile.

14 Follow up thanking people from attending. Send them links to videos you took of meetings.

Author
Author, Author! About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. (Not related to the actress.)
Author of twenty books including: Quick Quotations; Who Said What When.
See books and profiles on Lulu.com and Amazon, such as Wedding Speeches & Toasts. Also watch videos on YouTube.
See other posts on singers and statues and languages and destinations.

Online Toastmasters International Meetings
If you want to learn to speak the Queen's English, or Received Pronunciation. join me at my online toastmasters club,
Braddell Heights Advanced. Wednesdays, 7-9 Singapore time which is seven hours ahead of London, England.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=braddell%20heights%20advanced%20toastmasters
I am also a member of
Singapore Online.9-12 pm, Singapore time, Fridays. I am also a member of
Tampines Changkat Advanced.
Harrovians, London.
Tiarel.
Toastmasters International Find a Club
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club
https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=upSEBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=quick+quotations
lulu.com/shop/angela-lansbury/who-said-what-when/paperback/product-21713991ape

How To Improve Sound Quality Of Online Meetings

The first thing the host must do is mute or unmute the speakers and audience and tell them how to unmute themselves.

This is so simple. Find the the mute button and click on it with your mouse.

Where is it?

Laptops
For a child or elderly person new to a laptop. the mute button might be the top row of keys on the far left.

Mobiles
On a mobile, the mute sound could be the top protruding button on the top right hand side of the mobile thin side. Press it in and a blue line appears with a loudspeaker symbol.

Slide the large circle with your fingertip to the right and left to increase or decrease volume. Practise doing this.

You knew that? Yes, and therefore you don't explain it. What could go worng?
a) You are giving instructions for a laptop and they are on a mobile.
b)) You keep telling the other person to Mute, 'Mute yourself'. But they can't hear. They hear boot or nute.
c) They don't know the word mute. They only know the word silent.
d) Or they can't find the button.
e) Or they don't know how to slide the symbols.
f) They are afraid to do it because once they are muted, they cannot speak to you to ask how to unmute.

Mute
When too many people had their sound system switched on, the quality of the main speaker's volume went down.

Problems:
a) The speaker's voice was too quiet.

b) The sound would disappear and come back so you lost half a sentence.

c) Delay is transmission meant the sound and sight were out of sync. I would see myself frowning and would smile. It took another three seconds for my smile to appear. When I spoke or sang, the words were out of syn with my lip movements. That looks very odd.

Solution: You have to ask everybody to mute, or get the host to mute everyody except the speaker.
Meetings you can join:
Singapore Online Friday evening 9-12 midnight Singapore time
Harrovians Mondays 7-9 pm evening UK time
Braddell Heights Advanced  Wednesdays 7-9 pm Singapore time

These meetings are in English. Other clubs are in French, Spanish, Mandarin, bilingual English and Malay, Tamil and other languages.

If you wish to join a meeting, usually you are sent details through a whatsapp group.

Useful Websites
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, trainer of speakers.  More on sound qulity in the next post. Please share links to useful posts.

How To Share An Online Meeting

photo in wiki from kremlin.ru

Decide which system you want to use. This might already have been decided by the host if you are joining a meeting. I belong to Singapore Online Toastmasters.



For example:
 (alphabetically)
gotomeeting
zoom

Allow twenty minutes in advance to download, type in your name and password, and read the instructions.Before the start you should check everybody can see the timer.

I prefer gotomeeting to zoom because gotomeeting seemed to offer me a clearer tutorial on what to do if joining a meeting.

However, the gotomeeting user guide also helps you to understand how to operate with other systems too.

For example, the mute and unmute yourself button.

Many people think the mute button is the same as when watching a video and that it mutes incoming sound. It does not. It mutes you and unmutes you.

Your options include:
Joining by phone or computer.
Using phone and computer. For example you might have joined on the phone when walking to your home or office, then you arrive and want to see everybody on the big screen, without logging off from the phone and missing vital parts of the conversation.

I joined on the phone because I received a what'sapp message on my phone and the meeting had already started and it was quicker to click on the link on my phone and join the introduction than to copy out the meeting link number and log in using the computer. When I joined through the computer, I was still online with the phone and did not know how to turn off the phone. Nor did I think it was necessary, until I got noise interference and one of the technical people told me to switch off my phone.

I wanted to leave on my phone to read my whatsapp messages - such as private chats from other people online, sending an evaluation form for a speech they were giving.

The host of the meeting has more options. If the host shares with you, to train you, allow you to handle a section of the meeting, you get to see extra options.

A share button allows you to share slides. you might want to practise doing this with somebody at home.

Useful Websites
https://support.goto.com/meeting/organizer-user-guide
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362623-Changing-settings-in-the-desktop-client-or-mobile-app
https://gsuite.google.com/intl/en_sg/products/meet/

About the author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Speaking Online Challenges (Disasters!) Reminders

I have made these notes to remind myself but you might be interested.

Speaking online reminders
Body monitor
hands can go out of screen. Must use hands in front of you.
You must practise your speech.
PC recommended or laptop. Not a mobile.
Don't say it's my first time on land.
If standing too far back, you get poor sound quality.

Also if you will be a judge, practise judging yourself giving a speech.

Research thoroughly because online you are more likely to be recorded.

Chat function stops people discussing and sharing the subject of the table topics (or any other secret discussion)

People unmute thinking you need to unmute to hear.

You need a mute master to remotely mute.

How do you get just your photo showing. Does it mean you are out?
Show IC to prove who you are, in an exam, just not look aside.
If you go to the toilet, your notes are removed.
SAA ask you to open your phone and power off. Practice that.
Cut down ways of cheating.
Zoom master must spotlight the speaker.

You can turn off the video by covering your built in camera
on laptop, so you can be invisible if you are applying lipstick, combing your hair, tying your tie, making notes and looking away or typing in your laptop or using the phone.

gallery view - see lots of poeple. Speaker view shows just one person.
For a recording you need to focus on the speaker. Sit facing your camera. Don't sit to one side or lean out of view.

I used a laptop, but saw the. A sign under person's picture shows they are speaking.

Use an extra mike to be loud and clear.
On a low setting see one page of a person speaking?
For just one person.

Assign a breakout room (separate room) so nobody in tat room gets extra time listening to the topic..
Anone late is in a waiting room and admitted during a break.

Judge is given control of the limited options.

Only zoom  host can control.
You lock out latecomers.
If not a contestant must wait until break time. Why people who are disconnected and come back they turn microphones on and off and delay and distract the operators.

Alternatively put everybody in a waiting room.

Mute of stoops others unmuting.

Why cover your camera. So you can yawn or sneeze unseen. Or shout for a glass of water. Slip awy to fetch a pen or visit the bathroom (rest room). In case you look tired. Or need to wash your hair.

To send ballot via whatapp. for a record, use email.
Chief judge sends it to the tally counter.
Judges are still anonymous..

Timer and tally counter could be one person.

You can give the host account to the chief judge.
In the breakout room it is not recorded.

Chief judge decides.
Sign out.
Judges can all be in different.
Breakout room just for chief judge and tally counter.
Still have to send to each other.

You look for your name in the list.Enter a screen name.find contestant fast. Number or list each name with a prefix number so you can find the people needed for the breakout room.

You must create Whatap group for the quick messages.

Send an email so you can find the record easily.

You need to print a form and take a picture.
Email gives date, type of contest and , otherwise the chief judge has lots of cryptic messages from different events.

Do you judges need a printed judging form.
Or you can type in. Make a pdf to send to the chief judge. The top part you normally keep is not sent.

If no time to print, pdf writers have an easy meeter  writer or adobe? Sign on paper and send photo to chief judge. Only one minute to send results.

Same as physical club, you need a break of 15 minutes.

Contest chair if experienced must check all contestants can see the timer.
Contest chair must know the features of zoom.
The word

green screen or timer with card.

Timer in one corner.
not possible.
The word timer is under it.
Show recording would be interrupted.

In a room of 200 people, or 25, can see some people.
Hold up green card near camera to fill the screen.
Hold card over your face.

Go to google random number to choose speaking order. But you might not want to waste time.

As a contestant use your mobile horizontally.

If the audience members are muted, they cannot respond with laughter. They could wave.
GET AN EXTERNAL MICROPHONE.

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Author and speaker.

How to create and run an online meeting

Decide to hold meetings online. If possible find a few others who agree and will help you. If not, just set it up, so you are ready to answer questions, fend off objections, and then ask for help.

Decide which system you want to use, zoom or another. This may depend on the length of the meeting, whether you are willing to pay, how long you want the meeting to be.

Set up your meeting account. Make yourself and possibly somebody else an admin.

Send the attendees their link.
Tell them that they need to sign in.

On zoom, show them the buttons to click on for:
 mute and unmute
chat - to everyone or message one person such as yourself the admin or another
How to leave the meeting
How to be recorded
To record sound only
To record video

Zoom
If you use zoom, you fill in the link.
Sign up with your name.
https://zoom.us/postattendee?id=7

Free Conference Call
https://www.freeconferencecall.com/wall/

Your name or reference number is added on the end of the above link.
You can also use Whatsapp and Google.

More later. See next post.

About the Author
Angela Lansbury. Please save links to your favourite posts.